BUCKLEY, Wash. — The truck that hit the White River Bridge last week damaged more than the steel truss bridge linking Enumclaw to Buckley. Businesses in the area have been heavily impacted. Owners say they have seen a drop in customers since the closure on Aug. 19.
"I think we're down 30 percent," said Ryan Mensonides, owner of Mount Rainier Creamery and Market.
According to the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the bridge will remain closed to traffic "until further notice."
"That is not acceptable for anybody in these communities, let alone businesses," said Mensonides.
His business is the first on state Route 410 in Buckley for drivers coming from Enumclaw. The detour around the closure now takes cars nearly 30 miles around, through Auburn, to cross the White River. T